For the second consecutive week, the Trojans were able to take advantage of their unusual schedule, using Sunday afternoon as an extra day to prepare for their showdown at Notre Dame this Saturday...
- The walking wounded: WR Marqise Lee (shoulder), RB Marc Tyler (shoulder), CB Torin Harris (shoulder) and LG Marcus Martin were all sidelined Sunday. Lee sprained his AC joint in the 3rd quarter of USC's 30-9 victory over Cal and according to Lane Kiffin should be ready to go for Saturday. Tyler, however, dislocated his shoulder in the victory, and when asked about the running back's timetable before the trip to the South Bend, Kiffin replied, "We hope to have him but I'm not a doctor."
- If Tyler is unable to go on Saturday, the prohibitive favorite to get the starting nod would be redshirt junior RB Curtis McNeal. McNeal (pictured right by John McGillen) led the team on Thursday with 86 yards and a touchdown, but has yet to start a game in his Trojan career.
- McNeal on the possibility of starting: "I prepare every game like I am going to start, so even though one guy went down, I won't change anything going into this game. I will be ready to go regardless, even if I am the third guy, I will be ready to go."
- Another RB who could see time with the potential absence of Tyler is freshman George Farmer, who had four yards rushing on four carries and one catch for 14 yards in his collegiate debut against Cal. "I loved the experience overall. I was a little nervous when my name got called in that first series, but as the game wore on I got more comfortable. My goal is to continue to get better from here and that starts with learning the fundamentals of the position."
- One of the casualties from Thursday night's game, CB Anthony Brown, had surgery on Friday to repair his broken ankle and is expected to miss the remainder of the year.
- USC's defense will have its hands full this week, as Notre Dame's offensive line has only given up five sacks in 2011. But Lane Kiffin believes those numbers only tell part of the story. "It's a combination of things, because they spend so much time in the shotgun but they also get rid of the ball so fast," Kiffin said. "Their quarterback has done a great job of getting rid of the ball and their offensive line has done a good job of protecting him."
- Woods on Woods connection: On a run by Robert Woods, the sophomore WR attempted to weave his way in and out of traffic. While he made the first three or four guys miss, DT Antwaun Woods promptly finished the play off by laying the lumber on the star wideout, sending him instantly to the turf.
- Fresh off a sack against Cal, Wes Horton reiterated after Sunday's practice the importance of this week's game at Notre Dame Stadium, not only because of the rivalry but also due to how things transpired during last year's loss at the Coliseum. "We need to recognize how significant and how rich the tradition is between these two schools," said Horton. "There has to be a sense of urgency on our end. It's a huge game, but we also want to erase what happened in last year's loss. A lot of us were really embarrassed after that game."
- Kiffin also acknowledged that last year's 20-16 defeat to the Fighting Irish was the "worst loss in his head coaching career," but believes that Saturday's game can't make amends for what occurred in 2010. "It was heartbreaking at the time, but it's over now because this is a new team."
- USC will treat the rest of this week like a normal preparation period leading up to game day, with practices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
- Sorry for posting it late, but here is Kiffin's weekly conference call with reporters:
Kiffin-ND-Call.mp3 - Here's the coach for a brief media session after Sunday's affair...
